Tricking a Lord into Sin (Preview)

Chapter One

“For goodness sake, Bridget, could you put a smile on your face?” Lady Harwich nudged Bridget sharply as they entered the ballroom. “You look like you’re about to cry.”

Bridget swallowed, trying to blink away the tears.

“It’s not easy, Aunt. I’m doing my best.”

The older woman snorted and shook her head.

“It doesn’t look like it. This is your first time back in Society, and you look like you’re still in mourning. I’m sure you would have worn black tonight, if you could get away with it.”

Bridget looked down at herself. The pale pink dress she wore had been one of her favourites, and she would wear it all the time. But that had been before. Now she just felt like it was washing her out.

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.

“I’ll do my best, Aunt.”

“I hope so.” Lady Harwich’s expression softened a little and she touched her niece’s arm. “There is nothing wrong with wishing he was back, but it’s not something you should dwell on. He would want you to move on and focus on yourself, wouldn’t he?”

“I…”

“Then do as he wished and enjoy yourself. Your father isn’t going to get upset because he’s not here and you’re out and about with people.”

Bridget wanted to argue, but she knew that her aunt was right. She shouldn’t be sitting around wishing for her father to return. However, knowing that she was not at home but at her uncle’s, and she was left in a more helpless position than before, didn’t make things any better. While she cared for her aunt and uncle, Bridget felt like she had no control over what she did anymore.

At least her father was liberal enough to let her have some freedom. Now she was almost on a tight leash, and Bridget didn’t like it. Her new guardians meant well, she knew that, but they were only looking after her as an obligation to her father. Once she was married, they would not have to worry about her anymore.

Which was probably the reason why they were forcing her to come out of mourning earlier than she wanted to get her to reenter Society. They wanted her to find a husband. Then she would be gone.

Bridget didn’t want to marry. She didn’t want to think of herself being happy when her father wasn’t here anymore.

“Look, why don’t you and Mary take a walk around the room?” Lady Harwich suggested, turning to her daughter as she hovered close by. “Get used to being in a crowd again. I’ve just got to speak to the hostess.”

Before Bridget could respond, she was walking away with a brisk stride. Her aunt always seemed to know everyone, and she just had to be talking to people. It didn’t matter what was going on, she loved to gossip. Bridget had heard so much about Society in the last week than she thought was possible; the conversations at the dining table were certainly eyebrow-raising.

A movement beside Bridget had her turning. Mary had moved to her side, giving her a sympathetic smile.

“Don’t mind Mother. She means well, but she can get a bit too intense about it.”

“I know that. It’s all I’ve heard in the carriage on the way here.” Bridget sighed. “Is she always like this when you go to a social engagement?”

“Pretty much. She sees someone she wants to talk to, and she’s gone.”

“Leaving you alone?”

“Not ideal, but I can manage it.” Mary shrugged. “It’s preferable to have her talking about anything she’s picked up and embarrassing me.”

That was something. Bridget got a little uncomfortable with what her aunt talked about; she couldn’t imagine how it was when she was in public. Mary said it was embarrassing, but she let it roll off her back. Considering this was her mother, it was no surprise that she was used to it.

Bridget looked around the room. It was a big space, and the ceilings were quite high, but the room was packed. Whoever wasn’t dancing in the middle of the room were milling around in groups. The babble of the conversations were almost like bees buzzing around her, and it made Bridget’s head hurt. She could feel the pressure building in her temples.

She hadn’t been too keen on balls before her father got sick and passed away. And things hadn’t changed. They looked pretentious and boring. And Bridget was sure there was a violin out of tune in the orchestra, which was grating on her nerves.

“Bridget?” Mary frowned at her. “You just grimaced.”

“Oh. Right.” Bridget swallowed. “This is a bit too much for me, Mary. I really don’t want to be here.”

“I understand.” Her cousin slipped an arm through hers. “Let’s take a walk around the room, as Mother suggested. Then if it still makes you uncomfortable, I’ll cover for you if you want to go and hide.”

Bridget would take that. Mary was family, and her best friend. She had always been on her side, covering for her whenever they got into escapades as children. Mary knew, more than anyone else, why Bridget was not happy with the current situation. Having her present made things a little more bearable.

She was the only saving grace with Bridget living with her aunt and uncle. The new Earl and Countess of Harwich were strict people, far different to the relaxed nature of her father. They could be loving people, but it was hard to get them to show it. Bridget didn’t think she saw either of them shed a tear when they were at her father’s funeral. There was pain, but that was it, and then they were back into Society within six months.

Bridget didn’t know how they could move on. Her uncle Jeremy had said he and her father were close, and his actions weren’t matching his words. Bridget didn’t know what to think anymore. They might have been able to put the anguish of death to one side, but she couldn’t. Harwich had been making comments for months about how Bridget shouldn’t spend the rest of her life mourning, seeing as he wasn’t coming back.

She just wanted to remember the man she adored back. That wasn’t going to happen, and that just made things worse. Nine months on, and she was giving in to the pressure to stop wandering around like a ghost and actually interact with people who weren’t her guardians or her friend.

Mary knew how Bridget felt. She understood, and she had never pushed Bridget into anything. Her cousin was on her side, but even she had limited powers when it came to her parents. They just had to grit their teeth, and get on with it.

At least they could do it together.

Bridget allowed Mary to walk her around the room. The lights were hurting her eyes, the noise was hurting her head, and Bridget felt like everyone’s eyes were on her. She could hear whispering, but she didn’t know if it was anything to do with her or not. But Bridget didn’t like it.

“Easy, cousin,” Mary murmured. “You’re hurting my arm, and you look like you’re about to bolt.”

“Oh.” Bridget hadn’t noticed. She stopped squeezing Mary’s arm. “I didn’t notice.”

“I saw. Nobody’s talking about you.”

“They’re probably wondering who I am, though. I don’t know anyone here.”

“And that’s normal. The arrival of a newcomer is going to have people talking.” Mary gave her a smile. “But you don’t need to worry. Things will work out. You’re good at talking to people, aren’t you?”

“That was before. I don’t think I can do it now.”

“I’m sure you can. You’re a confident person, Bridget. It will take time, but you can manage it.”

Bridget didn’t believe that. Not anymore. The whispering seemed to be getting louder, and Bridget wasn’t even sure it was in her head or coming from people around her. She could feel her chest tightening. It was hard enough to breathe with the corset on, and now she was beginning to panic.

She needed to get away from this. Just for a moment. Now was not the time to start feeling faint. That would really get attention, and Bridget did not want that on her first outing.

“I…I need to get some air.” Bridget turned to Mary. “If Aunt Felicity asks where I am…”

“I’ll say you went to the powder room.” Mary nodded. “Don’t worry, I won’t let her know where you are. Take your time.”

“Thank you.”

Bridget squeezed her friend’s hands, and then she made her way towards an open door just beyond the orchestra. A few of the guests gave her a nod, and Bridget just about remembered to acknowledge them in return. Then she was outside and into the warm evening air. The sun was not going down anytime soon, but it was lower in the sky, leaving everything tinted with a warm orange colour. The breeze they had experienced earlier in the day, and now it felt like a blanket had been wrapped around her. Looking red-faced and hot was not a good appearance, but Bridget didn’t care. It was better than being in a crowd.

She wandered along the terrace, heading towards the back of the house. There was no sound of the guests, and barely any coming from the orchestra. The out-of-tune violin wasn’t hurting her head anymore, although that still reached her ears. How did someone play something like that so confidently and not know it wasn’t right?

This wasn’t where she wanted to be. She wanted to be at her home in Harwich, with her father, doing what she wanted. She loved going for walks for hours on her own, exploring the area and spending time with her friends. The previous Earl was fine with her doing that, even without a chaperone. A bad idea, maybe, but it showed trust, which Bridget appreciated.

Now she was living with her aunt and uncle, in a part of the country she hadn’t been to since she was a little girl, and things had changed. It felt like she had too many restrictions, and they were expecting her to conform to what they wanted. Bridget didn’t like being ordered around, and it was getting to her. They meant well, and she understood, but it didn’t make her feel any better.

Her father would be shaking his head at her right now. Bridget remembered the hours before he died and she was tending to him. He wanted her to carry on with her life and enjoy it as much as she could. He didn’t want her to mourn him forever; that was not how they did things. Life was meant to be lived, not for them to stop and let everything pass them by.

Bridget wanted to do that. But she couldn’t. It felt like a betrayal of his memory. And it made her feel nauseous.

If this was how she felt like the first time she was in mixed company after nine months, Bridget didn’t think she would be able to cope.

She was so deep in thought that she didn’t realise that she wasn’t alone anymore. Not until she ran into a hard, larger body and caused both of them to stumble. Next thing Bridget knew, she was on the ground. She lay there, staring at the sky, wondering if things could get any worse.

#

“Are you alright?”

Bridget looked up, and met dark eyes staring at her. Then she realised they were owned by a gentleman, standing over her as she lay sprawled on the slabs.

Had she just walked into someone and not even noticed? Bridget felt her face getting warm as she sat up and adjusted her skirts over her legs. One of her knees had been bare for his gaze, the other leg not far behind.

Oh, God, if someone came along now and saw her like this…she doubted anyone would believe that she simply fell over when there was a gentleman standing there.

A very handsome one, yes, but that wasn’t the point.

“My Lady?” He crouched beside her, regarding her with a frown. “Are you alright?”

“I…I think so.” Bridget looked away, focusing on smoothing her skirts down. “Forgive me, I didn’t see you.”

“I gathered that. You’re not hurt?”

“My pride is.”

That wasn’t strictly true. Her back and shoulder hurt from the collision with the stone slabs, and Bridget could feel the throbbing where her shoulder joined her body. She must have spun around and fallen very hard for that. But Bridget wasn’t about to say that.

“Let’s get you up.” He held out a hand. “I’m sure you don’t want to lie about on the terrace like this. People will think you’ve gone mad.”

“We can’t have that, can we?” Bridget quipped.

She took his hand. Warm, long fingers closed around hers, and he was standing, tugging her up. Bridget felt her being lifted like she barely weighed anything, and then she was on her feet. She tested her balance, and her left ankle started throbbing, which had her wincing.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think I twisted my ankle.”

“Can you walk?”

Bridget limped gingerly to the low wall. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was manageable. She eased down to sitting.

“Just about. I’ll give myself a moment before going back inside.”

“Do you want me to get anyone for you?”

“No, it’s fine. My aunt doesn’t know I’m out here, and I don’t want her scolding me.”

His mouth twitched, which made his eyes twinkle.

“You normally sneak away from your chaperone?”

“Not as a regular thing. This is the first time she’s been my chaperone.”

It was then that Bridget realised she was still holding his hand. He had made no move to pull away, and it felt like her fingers were throbbing from the touch. The gentleman seemed to notice at the same time, and he pulled his hand away quickly.

“Forgive me…”

“It’s fine…”

“That was inappropriate of me.” He cleared his throat. “My apologies, my Lady.”

“I said it’s fine.” Bridget assured him. “I’m not going to cause a fuss because you held my hand a little too long.”

“You would be the first. Any other lady would say that this meant we were in love.”

Bridget giggled.

“Does that happen all the time?”

“Not lately.” His mouth twitched into another smile, and Bridget almost forgot to listen to him. “I do have the ladies wanting my attention for one reason or another, so claiming that me holding their hand means I love them wouldn’t be too far of a reach.”

Bridget could very well believe it. She had been in Society with many young ladies who believed a physical touch that lasted more than a second meant there was something more. Then they were disappointed later on when they discovered that wasn’t the case. She wasn’t that type of person.

Although she did wish he held her hand again. It felt really nice.

“What are you doing out here on your own?” He asked, tilting his head to one side. “Without a chaperone? You’re asking to get into trouble.”

“More trouble than now?”

“Anything could have happened.”

Bridget didn’t think so, but she could see his point. She sighed.

“It’s my first time coming back into Society. I don’t know anyone except my aunt and cousin at this ball, and I just couldn’t cope.”

“First time back?” He frowned. “Have you been unwell?”

“My father died nine months ago.”

“Oh. I see.” He looked sheepish. “Forgive me, I didn’t realise. Please accept my condolences.”

Bridget gave him a gentle smile.

“Thank you. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my aunt and uncle. They want me to reenter Society and stop staring at four walls.”

“They care about you, and mourning for too long will just give you plenty of time to dwell on the pain that lingers from the death.”

“You believe so?”

He shrugged.

“My father died suddenly last year. Things fell out of place for a long time, but the more time I thought about it, the worse it became.”

Bridget sat up.

“Forgive me, I…”

“If I had my way, I would be mourning him still, but what’s that going to do? It won’t bring him back, and it won’t restore my family’s fortune.” He scowled. “What’s the point in inheriting a title when it’s just a name?”

Bridget understood that. But the way he spoke about it made her a little uncomfortable. He might say mourning wouldn’t do anything, but he was still incredibly bitter about it. His tone said it all. It made her want to reach for him and give him some comfort, but she kept her hands to herself.

“May I ask why you’re out here as well?” She asked. “Did someone say something?”

“I don’t like balls. They’re pretentious and boring.”

“Then why come to them?”

He sighed.

“Because there are only so many invitations I can turn down without being overly rude, and my mother said she didn’t raise me to be rude to other people. My brother wanted to come, so he brought me along.”

“And your brother is fine with you running off?”

“He’s just happy he got me to be sociable for once. Showing my face for a few minutes was enough for him.”

Bridget sighed.

“I wish my aunt would allow that for me. I just find it all overwhelming.”

“It doesn’t help when you don’t know the people here, either.”

“That as well.” Bridget realised she was openly staring at him and glanced away. “You’re not worried about him getting into trouble with someone?”

“George?” He chuckled. “He gets into trouble all the time. He’s the little brother, so it seems like his job nowadays.”

There was a fond tone in his voice just then, and it seemed to soften his countenance. Bridget watched her, trying no to stare as she had before. Every time she looked away, she found her attention being drawn back. He just drew too much attention.

Bridget wasn’t sure what to make of that. It hadn’t happened to her before.

“What is it like to have a sibling?”

“You’re an only child?”

“I am. And it’s just me now.” Bridget swallowed. “Sometimes, I wish I had a brother or a sister. Just someone to talk to when I feel lonely, someone I can confide in.”

He snorted.

“George is not someone I would share secrets with. And he’s a pain a lot of the time. Drives me mad when he’s being cheeky.”

“But you still love him.”

“What makes you think that?”

Bridget smiled.

“Because of the way you spoke about him. There was a fondness in your voice. Even if he drives you mad, you love him.”

He looked bemused.

“If you ever met him, you would think otherwise.”

“Would I?”

They stared at each other. There was a dark mood about him, and he didn’t seem to be the sort of person to be lighthearted, but he drew Bridget in. Even as she tried to stop staring, she couldn’t. There was something enigmatic about him.

Not really someone she found attractive when she was younger. People like him would be given a wide berth, as they just seemed to spell trouble. But she didn’t want to get away; she found herself wanting to get closer. What was it about him that she found alluring?

“Bridget? Bridget, are you there?”

Bridget stiffened. Mary. She had almost forgotten about her cousin. The gentleman straightened up.

“I think we’re going to be interrupted.”

“That’s my cousin.” Bridget got to her feet, wobbling a bit on her sore ankle. “I must have been outside for too long.”

“Then I will take my leave. I’m sure people will talk if they find out I’ve been conversing with you without a chaperone.” He took her hand and bowed, his lips brushing her fingers. “Take care, my Lady. And don’t walk into other people.”

Bridget didn’t get a chance to respond before he walked away, disappearing around the corner of the house. She was left swaying, wondering what had just happened. It had been just a few moments in his presence, and he had left a lasting effect.

And she hadn’t even found out his name.

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“Tricking a Lord into Sin” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

After the death of her father, Bridget Sculthorpe has to live with her uncle, the new Earl of Harwich. Even though she does not feel ready to join social life again, her guardians push her to find a suitable match. Soon, attending balls gets overwhelming and, so, Bridget tries to get away. The last thing she expected while trying to escape was to bump into a mysterious man and find herself torn between old desires and new.

What will happen when this tempting man’s brown eyes start haunting her dreams?

Harry Wycliffe never wanted to become an earl, especially a penniless one. After his father’s death, he had no desire to meet any lady of the ton. That is until the scandalous Bridget enters his life and he finds himself unable to resist the temptation. However, what will happen when he finds out she is the niece of a man he despises? Harry knows he should keep his distance, but no one has ever beguiled him the way she does…

Are his flaming feelings for her enough to put his hate aside?

As Bridget and Harry become entangled in a scandalous love affair, a chaos of complications and misunderstandings stands as an obstacle to their all-consuming passion. Bridget knows what she wants, but is Harry determined to fight for the only woman who ever captured his heart? Even if they succumb to their sinful feelings after all, will this be enough for them to be together?

“Tricking a Lord into Sin” is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Get your copy from Amazon!